Falling For Fire

by Talia Jager

  At the end of the week was my training with Berilo, the Spring faerie considered to be the best and strongest of his kind. When my Elemental markings had shown up a few months back, I had started training with other faeries from the other Seasons to master each element.

  I paced back and forth until Berilo walked out of the woods. “Good afternoon, Sorin.”

  “Berilo.” I nodded.

  “Ready?”

  He wasn’t big on small talk, so I answered a simple yes. Berilo raised his arms, and I copied him. Waving his arms, he conjured a strong wind and let it go at some trees. They swayed for a few seconds and then came to a stop. I did the same. We did it over and over again, stopping before the trees snapped. Then Berilo faced me. Knowing what was coming, I planted my feet, raised my arms, and put my hands up, palms facing him. He sent a blast of wind at me, and I sent one back, blocking his. I could feel the ground let off a rumble as it absorbed the energy back in.

  “Keep it up, Sorin.”

  Again and again, I matched his wind’s strength.

  Berilo took a step forward, letting me know he was upping the play. With his left hand, he faced it to the sky and made a circle. With the other hand, he took a giant sweep from outside in gathering wind and making a twister. Once it was double my size, he released it at me. Gathering more energy in my hands, I pushed air back at the twister, trying to keep it from coming toward me anymore.

  I skidded back a few inches, but I held it off. He lowered his hands, and the twister fizzled.

  “You’re doing well, Sorin. It won’t be long until you move on to the next element.”

  “Excellent. My parents will be pleased.”

  “Don’t do this just for them. Or because it’s your duty. Do it for you.”

  “I do.”

  Berilo nodded and said, “Good. See you next week.”

  I thought about what it would mean to be done with air. The only element I would have left to master was water, which was the winter element. My heartbeat sped up at the thought of the Winter Fae. I examined my markings. Fire, Earth, Air, Water. Fire and earth were both vibrant and glowing, but air and water were still just black markings, waiting for me to master them.

  In the middle of the afternoon, I sat in on a meeting between my parents and some of the nature Summer faeries. Their job was to make sure the earth was ready for summer and to help it arrive. They traveled back and forth between here and the human realm, checking on temperatures, weather, how things were growing, and things like that. It was a busy time of year for them as summer approached.

  My mother looked pleased when she saw me join the group of fae around the table. This was an annual meeting held a month before the Summer Solstice. “Tell me of your findings,” she asked the nature faeries who were gathered.

  Blossom started, “We believe everything will be on schedule, Your Highness.”

  “Wonderful. The ground is ready?” Mother asked.

  “Yes. The ground has thawed in the north and is ready for planting,” Fern answered.

  Coyle shifted in his seat. “The spring weather in the south has been wet.”

  “Wet? Explain that.” Mother stared at him.

  “A lot of rain. Flooding in some areas.” Coyle moved again.

  My mother glanced at Blossom again. “But you think everything will work out?”

  “I do.”

  “Worst-case scenario?”

  “A week delay.”

  Mother grunted and turned to Lugh. “Will your team be ready?”

  Lugh said, “We are ready to make sure summer takes hold.”

  “Let’s hope the land dries in time. The solstice comes quickly. Once it hits, I expect you all out there daily checking on things, making sure the transition goes as planned.”

  “Of course.”

  “Sorin? Is there anything you’d like to add?”

  I straightened in my chair. “I have a question.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier if we worked with the other fae to ensure summer arrives on time? Couldn’t they help out?” I swallowed hard as she narrowed her eyes and studied me.

  “We rarely need their help. Only when things are a lot worse than a little flooding.” She turned back to our guests. “You are excused.” Once they were gone, she asked, “Is there anything on your mind?” Her lips were pulled tight, and a crease ran along her forehead.

  “Just wondered why not work together.”

  “I can count on my hands the number of times we’ve needed the help of the other fae. If it’s not dire, then we do just fine by ourselves. Things are fine the way they are.”

  I nodded. No way was I bringing up a change in the relationship law now.

  One night later that week, a few of us hung out. Keir, Theros, and Calder threw a few armfuls of firewood into a pile, and I held the palm of my hand up to create a fireball, which I then tossed at the wood, igniting it.

  Suma was hanging on Theros. They had been together for a few months. Adena kept eyeing me as if I were a prize to be won. We had been friends, but I could feel her emotions, and she wanted more. Fortunately, she could feel mine as well and knew I didn’t want more. I think it was the only thing that kept her from trying to make a move.

  With Aurora on my mind, I pulled Keir aside. “When will you go to the falls again?”

  A smile stretched across his face. “I will let you know the day of.”

  “You can’t tell me before?”

  “No. Too much time for you to tell someone else.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Might just slip out.” He shrugged.

  “Promise me you won’t go without me.”

  “I promise, Sorin. Stop worrying and act normal. Others will notice something is up with you.”

  I grunted and grabbed a ball and started tossing it back and forth with Calder. Nyella, a satyr, and Beluar, an elf, came into the clearing and joined us. “Hey guys.”

  “Hi.”

  As we hung out and talked with Nyella and Beluar, I started wondering why we could hang out with other creatures, but not fae from other lands. How was that fair? Not that marrying a satyr or elf had ever happened, but friendships weren’t frowned on. We didn’t have to sneak out after dark to see them. Obviously our courts didn’t have a problem trading with each other. Why have these stupid old rules? I couldn’t dwell on it. I didn’t even know if that spark would still be there if I did see her again, but that didn’t stop me from looking at the snowflake every day.

  No matter what I did, Aurora always seemed to seep into my mind. Whether it was trainings, hurling games, or reading stories to my sister, something reminded me of her.

  The days blurred by until one day, Keir whispered, “Today is the day.”

  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from spinning around and whooping. Slowly, I turned and said, “Thank you. Same place and time?”

  Keir nodded. “You got it.”

  Time limped by while I waited for the kingdom to go to bed. As soon as the last light went out, I scurried outside and ran to the meeting place.

  Once we were in the air on our respective horses, I asked, “Do you think she’ll be there?”

  “Yes,” his answer came quickly.

  I remembered she had told me herself that she had only missed one. I truly hoped tonight was no different. I wanted to see her because I liked her, but also to make sure that the feeling was there again. That it wasn’t just a one-time thing. Or maybe she was just playing me, and there was nothing there. Could it have all been a trick?

  “Sorin! What are you thinking?” Keir asked. “Your emotions are like a ping-pong ball.”

  “Sorry,” I mumbled. “Just stressing.”

  “Over what?”

  I sighed. “Wondering if what I felt last time was real.”

  “What? Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “Maybe it was a trick?”

  “Nah, Rory isn’t like that.”

&nbs
p; “You sure? I mean, did she do the same thing with you?”

  “Flirt? Yes. Kiss me? Most definitely not.”

  I laughed. It wasn’t quite what I was asking, but I’d take the answer just the same.

  The second the horses’ hooves touched the ground, I was off and walking down the path through the tall trees. Keir caught up and said, “Not in a hurry, are we?”

  Ignoring him, I reached out in my mind and tried to find Aurora’s emotions. While I could tell there was a group of faeries ahead, I couldn’t tell which emotion belong to which faerie.

  And then we were through the trees. Trying not to make it obvious, I looked for Aurora. It only took a few seconds for my eyes to find her. My heart skipped a beat—literally—when she turned and our eyes met.

  Her hair was up this time, and she wore an ice-blue, knee-length dress, but other than that, she seemed unchanged. Her beauty was breathtaking, and I wanted to take her in my arms, which answered my question…if the feelings would still be there. They were.

  Chapter Four

  Aurora

  Sorin stepped into the clearing, and my eyes met his. Instantly that connection was there, and I had to force my feet to stay where they were instead of running to him. I should wait for him to come to me.

  A laugh escaped Raina’s lips, and I shot her a look. “What?”

  In a low voice, she responded, “You want to go to him so bad I can feel it. Go.”

  Before I could, Keir closed the space between us and gave me a big hug like he always did. While his lips were near my ear, he whispered, “He hasn’t stopped talking about you.”

  I felt the blood rush to my face. “Glad to hear I’m the topic of so many conversations.”

  Keir stepped back and looked at Sorin. I could just imagine that he was rolling his eyes or mouthing something to him.

  Sorin started toward us and stopped in front of me. His russet eyes matched his hair, and when he looked at me as he did right then, the rest of the world faded away. I opened my mouth to say hi, but instead I pulled him toward me and my lips met his, sending a shock through my body. For a moment, it was just the two of us there at the falls. When he pulled away, we were both breathing hard, and I had my answer. There was definitely something there.

  “Sorry.” I bit down on my lip.

  “Don’t be. I’ve been dreaming of that since I saw you last. Want to go talk?” he asked.

  “Sure.”

  We walked past Ivy, whose mouth was on the ground, over to a tall tree and sat down. I sat next to him and dug my toes into the earth.

  “Tell me more about yourself.”

  “There’s not that much to know,” I said.

  “For example, last time, you might have mentioned you were the Winter princess.” His lips stretched across his face in a wide smile, but he narrowed his eyes a little like he was mad.

  “I figured you knew. Everyone knows. You didn’t say who you were, but I knew.”

  “You did?”

  “Of course. There aren’t many faeries named Sorin walking around.”

  “Ah, but you go by Rory. That’s what threw me. It wasn’t until Raina called you Aurora that I realized who you were.”

  The way he said my name made my heart skip. “Where’s your crown?” I asked.

  “Left it home. Yours?”

  “With my horse. My father would have a fit if I was found to be without it in public.”

  Sorin nodded. “My mother is the strict one, but I forget it at home a lot. She doesn’t like it, but it’s become normal. A very well-planned normal,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yes.”

  “I heard that you were an Elemental. Is that true?”

  Sorin held up his arm so I could see the four markings on the inside of his left forearm. An orange-red flame was on top, then black swirls that looked like moving air; a brown circle was next, and finally a black sign for water that looked like a wave. “I’ve mastered fire and earth. I’m working on air, and last will be water.”

  “So you can cause an earthquake?”

  “I could, but I prefer not to. I can gather energy from the earth, create a force field, make a tunnel, move the earth or parts of it, and stuff like that.”

  “On top of your fire abilities?”

  “Yes. And I’m almost done training with air. The other day I made a twister.” His grin broadened.

  “Cool. Have you tried water yet?”

  “Yes, but being that it’s the complete opposite, it’s the hardest one for me to master.” He straightened the gold sun ring on his finger.

  “I’m sure you’ll master it quickly. Once you get the hang of it, water is so fluid and lovely to work with,” I assured him.

  The Spring Fae Navin and Iris finally showed up, and I jumped up to go say hi. “Do you have berries?” Iris asked.

  “Always. Is that all you come for?”

  Iris laughed. “And your awesome company, although by the looks of it, we may not see much of you tonight.”

  Blushing again, I ignored her and grabbed the bowl of Merry Berries. Offering it to them, I said, “Eat, and be happy.”

  “We will,” Iris said, grabbing a few. Navin did the same. As Iris walked away, she left a trail of flowers behind her.

  Keir came over and took a few berries. “How are things with Sorin going?”

  “Fine. How are they supposed to be going?” I couldn’t help but glance over at him. His eyes were on me, and he was deep in thought.

  “The boy has it bad.”

  “Keir…he’s Summer. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m most definitely not. It can’t go anywhere but here.”

  Keir’s eyes looked sad. “I know.”

  Raina’s hand came out of nowhere, and she took a few berries. “Stop being so serious, and go be happy for a few hours of your life.”

  Still looking at Sorin, I grabbed a handful of berries and tossed them in my mouth. “Whoa, girl.” Raina took the bowl. “That’s enough for you.”

  “How else am I going to be happy when the way this ends will suck?” I walked back to Sorin and dropped next to him. “I ate too many berries, so I’ll likely be a blabbering idiot in a few minutes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that’s what the berries will do—”

  “No. I mean why did you take so many?”

  Thinking about how much to say, I played with my rings. “All I’ve done is think about you the past few weeks. Wanting to see you again, feel your lips on mine, wondering what it would feel like to have you hold me. But this is all it can be, Sorin. A few hours once a month. That’s all we’ll ever have.”

  He reached out and cupped my face with his warm hand. I closed my eyes and felt myself wanting him to touch me more, so I pulled back. I should stop this before it ended badly.

  The air filled with sweet music, and I shifted my gaze to Raina, who was playing her fiddle. I felt at peace. There was a happy, tingling sensation running through me. The berries were working their magick.

  I lay back on the earth and stared at the stars. Sorin ran his fingers up and down my arm. I don’t know how much time passed as I enjoyed the quiet with Sorin.

  The sound of laughing jolted me out of the haze I was in. Ivy, Jora, and Iris were dancing. I jumped to my feet and joined them. Sorin stayed on the ground watching, but the other boys were huddled together talking.

  Holding my hands about six inches apart, I watched as snow began forming between them. Soon I had a snowball. I packed it and threw it at Keir, who jumped and squealed like a girl.

  “Oh, you want to play?” He cupped his hands and made a small fireball. He threw the fireball at me. I bit my lower lip and sent a stream of snow toward the fireball. With a flick of my wrist, the snow turned into water and destroyed the fireball.

  Raina hit Keir in the back with a snowball, so he turned and sent a fireball at her too. I made up a small pile of snowballs and soon we were engaged
in a snowball fight with everyone.

  Even Sorin got in the game and surprised me in the shoulder with a snowball.

  He closed the space between us again, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist him. Toes touching, we stood there looking at each other for a long minute. I tossed the last snowball in the air and pulled my hand back. The snowball exploded into millions of snowflakes suspended in the air around us.

  He held out his hand. “Dance with me.”

  I placed my hands on his back, and we moved back and forth. After a minute, my hand that was near his shoulder felt hot, so I let go and looked at it.

  “What?” he inquired.

  “It’s hot.”

  He turned his shoulder toward me. “It’s where my Summer marking is.” On the back of his left shoulder was a sun about two inches wide. I ran my fingers over it again, and sure enough, the marking was hot. Not burning. Just hot.

  I moved the strap of my dress. “Feel mine.”

  He ran his fingers over my Winter markings. “They’re cold. Like ice cold.”

  It was neat in a way. They always seemed colder to me than the rest of my body, but this was even more proof we couldn’t be together. “We can only be friends, Sorin.”

  “Just be quiet and dance with me.”

  Although there was no music, we were all dancing a few minutes later. Raina was dancing with Keir, and the Spring and Autumn Fae were even dancing with each other.

  Sorin twirled me around and pulled me back to him. Laying my cold cheek on his warm chest, I felt him nuzzle his face in my hair, and he inhaled.

  Sorin put his finger under my chin and lifted my face to his. Our eyes locked. My brain screamed no, but my heart pounded yes. He inched closer, and tingles ran through my body.

  “Just friends…” I murmured.

  His sweet, warm breath tickled my lips just a second before his lips touched mine. My mouth parted instinctively, and I drew him into the kiss. After a minute, he pulled away and said, “Maybe we should go sit down.”

  “I am a little dizzy.” I wasn’t sure if it was the kiss or the berries.